Flashback Friday: Carlos Delgado Hits 4 Home Runs in One Game

To this day, it still stands as one of the single greatest offensive displays by a Blue Jay. Only one man in franchise history has ever accomplished this feat, and the bar has been set so high that no one could might ever reproduce it again.

In light of Carlos Delgado’s recent announcement of his retirement, this week we look back at Carlos Delgado’s epic 4 home run game on September 23rd, 2003.

I’ll be honest, I don’t remember much of the game itself because that was during my “break” from the Blue Jays. However, I defer to a man who was there in the stands – The Man with the Golden Arm from 1 Blue Jays Way.

“What I saw that day was a remarkable thing in retrospect. The type of thing you don’t realize how special it was until later, after you had a chance to let it soak in. Carlos Delgado hit four home runs, in four consecutive at bats, his ONLY four at bats.

… I remember thinking to myself after he hit the second one to lead off the forth inning, man is he ever seeing the ball good today. But it was the shot he hit off Windows to lead off the eight that really sticks out. The drama was intense.

He already had three bombs, which in itself is rare. I wondered out loud if they were going to pitch to him. I figured that the hurler, one Lance Carter, was aware of the circumstances and probably didn’t want to leave a ball over the middle of the plate. I was so sure that Carlos wasn’t even going to see a fastball in that at bat.

Whatever pitch it was, the sound the bat made when it came in contact with the ball, left no doubt in anyone’s mind where it was heading. I can still see him throwing the bat out of his hand, putting his head down and jogging to first.

He knew it was gone. Everyone in the park knew it was gone. I went nuts. I didn’t even see where the ball landed and had to watch the highlights on Sports Desk just to find out. That day I gave high fives to complete strangers”

Perhaps more impressive than hitting four home runs in one game was that Carlos Delgado did it all while under the weather. He took some antibiotics for a cold and had a nap prior to the game.

One of his home runs traveled 435 feet and hit off the fabled glass at Windows Restaurant, and one even went 445 feet and reached up into Sightlines Restaurant, which was perched above Windows. In total, Delgado’s four home runs traveled 1645 feet combined.

The game was also momentous for Carlos Delgado because he reached the 300 career home run plateau as well as crossed the 40 home run mark for the third time in his career. Delgado also surpassed his own previous club record for RBI’s in a season when he reached 138 RBI’s.

Just to reiterate how rare it is to hit 4 home runs in one game, Delgado was only one of five American League players ever to accomplish that feat, and only one of 15 in the majors to do it, and nobody has hit 4 home runs in a game since Delgado did it in 2003.

It’s a unprecedented accomplishment that will stand as one of the greatest single game performances by one player in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s just a shame only 13,408 people were privy to see it unfold live at the Rogers Centre.

Congratulations on an incredible career Carlos Delgado, and hopefully it won’t be too long before you’re right there with Roberto Alomar in Cooperstown.

Update: Carlos Delgado posted a link to this video montage on his Twitter account. Relive the magic that was Delgado’s four home run game!

Ian Hunter

Ian has been writing about the Toronto Blue Jays since 2007. He enjoyed the tail-end of the Roy Halladay era and vividly remembers the Alex Rodriguez "mine" incident. He'll also retell the story of Game 5 of the ALDS to his son for the next 20 years.

6 Comments

I really like Delgado. Hell of a guy, monumental power. Unfortunately I think Cooperstown is a pipe dream. Just head over and do a WAR graph of him and McGriff and you'll see why. Level of Excellence will be a nice accomplishment.

Anonymous

I was there in that game in person that day. Yes I'm been to alot of Blue Jays game but that day and year September 2003 was the best baseball game I have ever been to in my entire life and I was grateful that I was there in person. And seeing it again on video was so memorable and brings back great memories.